Finally Sees Cents

(The price of the fuel has gone up, from $0.537 cents per litre, to $0.539 cents per litre. We always change the outside signs BEFORE we change the price on the pump. A customer pulls up just as the price is changing. She fills her car with fuel and pays. She turns to leave, then looks at her receipt. She returns to the counter.)

Customer: “Um, excuse me, but you have ripped me off. You have charged me the wrong price.”

Me: I’m sorry? Let me take a look at the receipt.

(I look at the receipt, and it clearly shows the price as being $0.539 cents per litre. She had purchased 25 litres.)

Customer: “See, it’s the wrong price. You are rip-off merchants. You have stolen my money!”

Me: “Ma’am, the price is correct, I’m unsure as to what you are referring.”

Customer: “When I drove in, the pump said 53.7 and then you charge me 53.9 cents a litre! That’s extortion!”

Me: “Well, actually the signs outside clearly indicate the price, and the pumps had just changed as you pulled up.”

Customer: “So you admit it! You have ripped me off! I want to see the manager!”

Me: “I am the manager, ma’am. For the inconvenience, I shall refund you the difference.”

(I hand her the five cents.)

Customer: “Seriously? I’m not stupid you know! It’s a lot more than just five cents!”

Me: “Well, ma’am, you purchased 25 litres yes?”

Customer: “Yes!”

Me: “The price went from 53.7 CENTS a litre to 53.9 CENTS a litre?”

Customer: “Yes!”

Me: “So 25 multiplied by .2 of a cent equates to 5 cents.”

(Red faced and obviously extremely mortified, the customer raced out of the store without so much as a ‘sorry!’)